On July 4th, 2020, Hamilton was released on Disney+. In a summer with not much to do, it became the big event in our household as it did with many others. My musical-loving kids memorized every song. It was basically all we heard for the next six months!
Hamilton obviously rates high on entertainment value, but how accurate is it to history? I read the book Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow to get an idea. My opinion after comparing the two is that, though admitted artistic license is taken with facts, the spirit of the story is pretty accurate.
That summer also sparked a lot of conversations about the American Revolution itself, not in small part due to Hamilton. After several conversations on the topic, I began to ask myself, how well do we know the American Revolution?
So, as I did with Hamilton, I researched and came up with a timeline based on several sources. As Boston plays a big role in the colonies declaring independence, I feel it is an appropriate time to post the timeline here.
We tend to believe most events that occurred leading to the founding of our nation occurred in and around 1776. If this is true for you, the below will come as a surprise. Let us begin.
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March 22, 1765 – The Stamp Act Passed
Great Britain had just won an expensive war against France, much of which occurred in North America. The British Parliament passes the Stamp Act to help pay the debt accrued during the war and to maintain an army in their newly won North American territories. The act seeks to raise money through a tax on all legal and official papers and publications circulating in the American colonies.
The act does not sit well with the colonists. Violent protests break out throughout the colonies. The colonists believe there should be “no taxation without representation.”
Parliament would repeal the act in 1766 after months of protests and boycotts that damaged their trade. However, the stage is set for a conflict that neither side is going to back down from.
March 5, 1770 – Boston Massacre
Tensions between the British and the colonists continue to grow. In 1768, the British begin to send soldiers to Boston to quell riots and enforce British rule. On March 5, 1770, one of these “Redcoats” gets into a dispute with several colonists in front of the Customs House. Redcoat reinforcements are called and colonists flock to the scene. After a jumble of confusion, the Redcoats open fire on what turns into a mob. In the end, five colonists lay dead.
The Redcoats are defended in court by future Founding Father and President, John Adams. Six of the eight men are outright acquitted, while the other two are found guilty of manslaughter. John Adams later says the Boston Massacre laid the foundation for American Independence. The trial itself proves to the British that the colonists were able to fairly administer justice even in the face of public discontent.
December 16, 1773 – Boston Tea Party
On May 10, 1773. Parliament authorizes the Tea Act. This act states tea sold in America will not have a duty for the East India Company. Instead, the tea will be taxed at the point of entry in colonial ports. This tax is incredibly unpopular in the colonies, especially rebellious Boston.
Three ships brimming with chests of tea sit in Boston Harbor. The instructions from London are clear: the ships are not to leave the harbor with the tea on board. The colonists know that if the tea does get offloaded then the tax will have to be paid. A party of men dressed as Native Americans under the cover of night and in rain board the ships and proceed to dump all 342 chests into the harbor.
In response, Parliament passes what are known as the Intolerable Acts which take away home rule from Massachusetts and force the colonists to board British troops. It is another step down a road towards conflict that could not be reversed.
April 18, 1775 – Paul Revere’s (and William Dawes’) Midnight Ride
Dr. Joseph Warren is alerted by anti-British intelligence that British soldiers plan to conduct a search and destroy mission on a patriot weapons cache in Concord, Massachusetts. Warren is concerned that John Hancock and Samuel Adams, who were then staying in Lexington, are targets as well.
Warren sends out Paul Revere and William Dawes to alert the countryside, likely by saying “the Regulars are coming” instead of “the British are coming” and warn Hancock and Adams of their danger. Revere arrives around midnight, a half hour before Dawes, and is later immortalized by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s poem Paul Revere’s Ride in 1860.
April 19, 1775 – The Shot Heard Round the World
The British are aware the countryside has been alerted of their plans. When the British reach Lexington, they are met by approximately 70 minutemen who gather on the village green. It is unknown from which side, but someone fires a shot and a skirmish ensues. In the end, eight colonists lay dead and at least an equal amount are injured, while one redcoat is wounded.
The British continue to nearby Concord, where that same day they encounter armed resistance from a group of patriots at the town’s North Bridge. Gunfire is exchanged, leaving two colonists and three Redcoats dead. The first shots of the American Revolution are now fired.
July 4, 1776 – The Declaration of Independence is Adopted
In the summer of 1776, the Continental Congress forms a committee to draft a declaration of independence from Britain. The committee includes Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston, and Roger Sherman, with the actual writing delegated to Jefferson.
Thomas Jefferson’s magnificent draft only requires minor revisions by Franklin and Adams. By adopting the Declaration of Independence, the Americans draw a line. Prior to this, the British hoped for resolution that would see the colonies remain loyal to the crown. The declaration is treason in the eyes of the British and any illusion of reconciliation disappears. The dispute would need to be resolved by armed conflict.
December 19, 1777 – Valley Forge
The British have occupied New York City since the summer of 1776. In the summer of 1777, the Continental Congress abandons the capital city of Philadelphia to British occupation. The outlook for the Americans going into the winter of 1777-78 looks bleak from the outside. However, contrary to popular belief, the Continental Army is rather optimistic entering their winter encampment at Valley Forge, a defensible plateau located a day’s march away from Philadelphia.
Though supplies are sparse and disease rampant, the Americans use the time in camp to transform the Continental Army into a professional force. Valley Forge is regarded by many as the birthplace of the American Army.
October 19, 1781 – The Battle of Yorktown
Both the British and American armies are exhausted after six years of war. General George Washington has a decision to make in the spring of 1781: Try to take New York City or move south to take Yorktown, Virginia, where British General Lord Cornwallis is garrisoned. Washington chooses Yorktown and catches Cornwallis by surprise.
The British are outnumbered and outfought during a siege that lasts three weeks. On October 19th, Cornwallis surrenders to the Continental Army and its French allies. This turns the tide of the Revolutionary War in the Americans’ favor and serves as the last major encounter in the American Revolution.
September 3, 1783 – Treaty of Paris is Signed
After the events of Yorktown, the British knew the war could not be won and are open to peace negotiations to end the costly conflict. However, it isn’t until September of 1783 that a formal treaty is signed between the two sides. The Treaty of Paris, negotiated on the American side by John Adams, John Jay, and Benjamin Franklin, officially ends the Revolutionary War. It also officially recognizes the United States as an independent and sovereign nation. Further, and not to be overlooked, it grants the United States all the land south of Canada, north of Florida, and east of the Mississippi River. The United States is now bigger than Britain, France, and Spain combined.
The Treaty of Paris sees Britain concede much resulting in a lopsided win for the United States. This and some questions left unresolved lead to tensions continuing between the two countries and eventually another war (War of 1812).
September 17, 1787 – The United States Constitution is Signed
In 1786, Alexander Hamilton calls for a constitutional convention to discuss the formation of a central government. The Constitutional Convention opens in May of 1787 with George Washington serving as president. Washington’s presence gives legitimacy to the convention. After much debate, the final draft of the Constitution is signed on September 17, 1787.
The document lays the foundation for the national government and fundamental laws as well as guarantees certain basic rights for its citizens. It is a living document and 27 amendments have been made since its ratification with the last occurring in 1992. The US Constitution serves as the standard for many countries obtaining independence from colonial powers in the coming years.
April 30, 1789 – George Washington Inaugurated as First President of the United States
George Washington is a national hero and carries hefty weight with the American public and politicians alike. Alexander Hamilton championed the idea the chief executive, almost assuredly Washington, be an elected monarch that holds the position for life. These are not Washington’s desires.
The Constitutional Congress, for which he had given credibility, decides the president will serve a four-year term. Nearly thirteen years after the Declaration of Independence is signed, the United States has its first president. After serving two terms, George Washington shocks the world by not seeking a third term leading King George III to proclaim him “the greatest character of the age.”
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Let’s take a moment to soak this in. We didn’t just declare independence and, BOOM, the United States is up and running. This timeline covers over 24 years of events! Let’s back date that same timeframe from today. That puts us in the spring of 2000. We are still drinking the gallons of water we stored up to prepare for the Y2K bug. September 11th has not happened yet. The iPod hasn’t even been released!
We also must consider the timeline is only a partial list; I grudgingly omitted several extremely influential events for the sake of time. On top of that, it doesn’t even get into the internal strife that challenged the Americans through every step of the process. I hope this does give us some perspective though.
That is it for this post. We’ll continue to explore Boston’s impact on American history in the next post. Until then, cheers!